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Danganronpa Murder Fabrication/Chapter 1 - Daily Life (1)
Prior • Next CHAPTER 1 Things left unsaid I do not know. I just do not… Know why I am feeling so bad about this. Surely the terrible situation we are in does not help, but I cannot stop thinking about Lois, and how I am standing here, doing nothing, acting depressed instead of actually doing something to help. I was getting so excited, and it all suddenly went back to zero… I guess she was right, after all. “Hey, Neo, are you still with us?” “No.” I answered without even thinking about it. “Damn, that was cold.” Hearing this, I suddenly stop staring at the floor and look up to see Ciel, to my surprise calmly smiling. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to- ugh…” I grimace. Acting up-beat makes me feel uneasy, and it seems they share this emotion with me for a split second. “Come on, you’re the only one in this room to think any of what happened is your fault.” Emily darts over towards us, appearing from nowhere. “Emily thinks you didn’t do anything wrong!” Her sudden appearance makes me giggle, and the surprise of giggling makes me feel somewhat better, though I cannot help but feel guilty, whatever anyone may say. “Oh, is Emily not busy harassing an innocent woman anymore?” “What? No! I can’t always be with her, she’d get tired of me! Plus harassing is just wrong. And I want her to like me. I’m trying my best to bring her attention to me but at the same time I don’t want to invade her personal space too much!” “A-Ah.” “Yeah! But like she’s so cute. I can’t help myself. But I need to get used to leaving her alone. So here I am! Annoying someone else!” “Well, I guess my initial judgement of your comportment may have been more negative than it should have?” “That’s normal! It’s because I’m so annoying!” I loudly clear my throat. “Emily, why are you always saying you’re annoying?” She tilts her head and stares at me for a second, with a curious look on her face. “Whaaat?” “You see coming towards us as annoying us, and you just said you’re annoying like it’s a fact.” “That’s because it’s a fact!” “Why don’t you try to stop being annoying, if you know you are?” “I can’t do that! It’s not one of my capacities!” “This is just wrong!” She touches both her cheeks and stares at me again. “Whyyyy?” “You can’t just… Accept that you’re annoying! It’s not cool to see yourself as something negative. I mean, I suppose you see being annoying as a negative?” “Yeah! English is my first language!” “Who told you you were annoying in the first place?” “Anyone with the capacity to talk! I think Noah won’t be able to!” “Everyone- I’m sure there are people who like you!” “Doesn’t stop them from realizing I’m annoying!” Ciel whispers. “Sounds like a rough situation to get out of.” “L-listen, I… I don’t think you’re annoying!” “You’re a liaaaaar!” She spins around like she is about to break into song. “… She’s right, though…” “Annoying or not, I think you just did something right.” Could just be reflection from her highlighter, but I see sparkles in Emily’s eyes at this exact moment. “Really? What was it?” Ciel puts their hand on my shoulder. “Look at Neo, he was asking all depressed, and now that you’re here, he’s only thinking about you instead of what makes him feel bad.” I suddenly realize that I was so concentrated on trying to understand Emily and make her feel better that I forgot what I was even feeling. Of course I start to think about it again right away, but this conversation having started, I just cannot concentrate only on that anymore. “Oh, oh, oh, Neo, she’s right! I distracted you!” “I’m not a she, though...” Ciel grins awkwardly, looking away from her. “DAMMIT!” She screams that so suddenly her voice cracks a little. “Uh-” “No no no! Emily is so sorry! I’m so sorry! I’m blind! You don’t even look like a girl! It’s just the shirt, and Emily always looks at clothes, but it’s stupid because she knows different fashions from around the world have a different view on what is feminine or masculine!” “You know, it’s fine…” “Right! And now Emily is being annoying by overreacting and making you feel bad! Emily can’t help but be annoying!” It is her turn to clear her throat. She looks down for a second, then at Ciel, and she suddenly giggles. “You don’t have to forgive Emily coz it’s okay! But I think you’re like, so beautiful. Like I think men who have just a hint of femininity are so good looking. So like I went for the wrong choice coz I like girls but like I don’t want you to feel bad coz you just look like a beautiful man. And I’m totes saying the truth!” “Uuuh…” “Hey, it totally looks like she’s saying the truth. And you know I agree with her!” “Yeah, yeah, okay, it’s fine!” Ciel does seem to smile a little bit more easily now, and smiling myself, I discretly sigh in relief. “We’re stalling a little here. The others were talking about checking for places on the student handbook. I saw you barely even looking at it before you turned it off, so I’m figuring you didn’t even check the map?” “There are school regulations too.” “School regulations..?” “Yeah, I think the name is clear enough. Come on, let’s just check your handbook, you’ll understand when you see it.” Curious, I obey, and take the thing from my pocket. I turn it on, and I immediately go to the “School regulations” tab and start swiping through them. – 1 – Students are required to cohabitate at Hope's Peak Academy for the remainder of their existence. “Sounds ominous…” – 2 – When a murder is committed in the academy, a class trial will be conducted. Participation in this trial is mandatory for all surviving students. “How about no murder gets committed?!” – 3 – If the killer (hereinafter referred to as "the blackened") is correctly identified during the class trial, only the blackened will be punished for their crime. – 4 – If the blackened cannot be identified, or if an incorrect student is identified as the blackened, all students except the blackened will be punished for the crime. – 5 – If the blackened survives the class trial, they are declared the winner. At which point, they will graduate from Hope's Peak Academy and re-enter the outside world. – 6 – If innocent students (hereinafter referred to as "the spotless") continue to survive class trials, the killing game will continue until only two students remain. “W-Why is this trial thing so regulated? It… Makes sense but it’s so terrible!” “You don’t have to tell me. Sounds so obvious to him he didn’t care to tell us.” – 7 – "Night time" is officially designated as the hours between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. However, there is no obligation to stop any activity during this period.“Why even design a night time then?” – 8 – Damaging school property is strictly prohibited. – 9 – All acts of violence toward Monokuma, the headmaster of Hope’s Peak Academy, are strictly prohibited. “You see, that’s what they were saying earlier, like how you can’t attack Monokuma.” “Makes more sense now…” – 10 – Monokuma will never directly participate in a murder. – 11 – A body discovery announcement will occur when three or more students discover a body. “That sounds like something he could have explained instead of letting us read it… Or not.” “Piece of shit’s too lazy!” – 12 – Students who violate these rules will be promptly exterminated. – 13 – The headmaster may add additional regulations to this list at any time. These are all the rules. I close the tab and look at Ciel and Emily in turn, not knowing how to react. “Yeah, so that's mainly what we can’t do. I guess we should ask the guys who know about the Danganronpa series, but I’m thinking we don’t want to risk being exterminated.” “Sounds rational.” We all turn around at the same time to look at Benjamin, who only now announces himself. “Hey, so we were thinking about exploring the school and searching for an exit. Come with us, we're talking about it.” We look at each other once again, but all follow him in silence towards the rest of the group. “Glad to see you’re coming back to us. We sent our best negotiator but we still weren’t sure.” “Ah Alice, you’re much wittier than what I would have imagined you to be! But come on, give them a break.” Isabella giggles. As far as I can see, people seem pretty calm about the situation. “Ah! Do you like witty people, Isabella?” “Except her”, I think, as she runs towards her imaginary girlfriend. The girl ignores her, though, and someone raises their voice.“Repeating for those in the back, we’re planning to look through the entire school for a possible exit. We can’t destroy anything apparently, but we’ll have to look through every possible door or even wall.” “I say we meet again in one hour if we haven’t found an exit. Though it should be easy enough, since there seems to be an outside...” “You’ll be surprised…” “Someone’s gonna end up thinking you actually know the school already!” “Like you, I’m guessing?” “…Hm.” Jan shrugs. “It can’t be helped.” “How about we go? I don’t want to stay here any longer.” “Of course! I’ll find the exit right away!” “Hey, she’s right- with the Ultimate Detective, we’re sure to be out of here soon!” I find myself getting all excited again, and I am now thinking about what we will do once we are out. “Of course, of course.” Her face screams “huhu” or some strange laugh of the sort, but I do not even mind her acting cocky. I believe in our power as Ultimates, and I know we will be out sooner than we can possibly imagine. “Let’s start searching! We should get out before it gets too late and dark and there’s nobody outside anymore!” “Good thinking…” “Let’s hurry.” As he says that, we start to walk out of the gymnasium. “I think I’ll search this place, just in case…” Ciel walks next to me. “Do you know where you’re going?” “Where no one else is going!” Still nervous, I laugh, because I am so relieved already, and I feel silly to have been depressed when it is so easy to get out of here. Lois will be relieved too, soon enough!